Archive for the ‘olive oil’

Kibbeh is ubiquitous throughout the Middle East. If you know anything at all about this dish, you know it is usually made with meat – beef, lamb, or, rarely, goat. It can be baked, fried, or eaten raw. It is essentially a meat feast with a little wheat thrown in.

However, during Lent, many Christians throughout the world – including the Middle East – give up eating meat. So, a vegetarian version was created (most likely in Lebanon) so they could still enjoy Kibbeh throughout Lent.

I came up with my version of this dish about 15 years ago when my husband was still a practicing vegetarian. He’s since come back to the dark side, but I still like to make this version on occasion whenever we are having a vegan week here at Chez Ray.

A few notes:

I use pine nuts in this recipe, like I do in traditional Kibbeh. However, if you can’t find, afford, or don’t want to use them, you can substitute slivered almonds.

If you want to add some additional flavoring or bulk, you can also layer in along with the filling, sliced boiled potatoes, sautéed squash, sliced tomatoes, or fried eggplant slices.

If you are making this for someone who is allergic to nuts, then you can use vegetables (see above) or seitan or tempeh. However, if you decide to use either of these, be sure that either of them aren’t highly seasoned (like many commercial ones are – especially seitan).

I like to use fine bulghur wheat for this dish (#1 grind) because the crust holds together better with the finer grind.

If the crust mixture is too dry, add a little water; if it is too wet, add a little whole wheat flour. However, make sure that you have everything well mixed before you begin adding any additional ingredients. If you do have to add anything, adjust the seasonings accordingly.

A traditional accompaniment to Kibbeh is a cucumber-yogurt salad. If you want to keep this completely vegan, then use a soy-based or coconut milk-based yogurt (however, check the label to make sure there’s no casein in the yogurt).

The Ingredients

1 c. fine bulghur wheat

The wheat. Try to use a #1 grind. You can generally find it at any Middle Eastern market.

2 med. onions, diced

1 c. chopped parsley

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 c. walnuts, chopped

1/2 c. pine nuts or slivered almonds

Walnuts and Pine Nuts. You can substitute slivered almonds for the pine nuts. However, the walnuts are a must. Most other nuts are going to be too sweet.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Either spray or oil a medium baking dish (about 7″ x 11″) and set it aside.

2. Rinse the wheat in a fine mesh strainer until the water runs clear.

Rinsing the wheat. You want to be sure to get off as much of the dust as possible. Processing methods are better than they once were, but some dust is still present.

Then, put the wheat into a bowl and cover with 1″ of water. Set aside and allow the wheat to soak until it is “al dente”, about 20 – 30 minutes.

Soaking the wheat. Start testing it after about 20 minutes. It should still have some chewiness to it, but it shouldn’t be crunchy.

Once the wheat is ready, drain it through the strainer again. (There’s no need to squeeze out all of the water; just be sure the wheat is well drained.) Set aside.

The soaked, drained wheat. You just want to be sure that excess moisture is drained away; it doesn’t need to be squeezed dry. You’ll need that moisture when you make the crust. (In other words, make sure it’s not dripping, but it’s not dry either; just nice and damp.)

3. Make the filling: Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions until they become soft, about 5 – 7 minutes. Stir frequently.

Sautéing the onions.

Take half of the onions out of the skillet and place them into a bowl. Set aside.

This half is waiting to be made into crust.

Place the skillet back on the heat and turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic to the onions. Sauté for 2 – 3 minutes. Stir frequently.

Adding the garlic.

Add the pine nuts and the walnuts and cook for another 3 – 4 minutes, or until they have toasted (be sure not to burn them). Again, stirring frequently.

Be sure not to let the nuts burn. You just want to get a nice golden brown on them.

Add in 1/2 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, the pomegranate syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Take the skillet from the heat and taste for seasoning. Allow the filling to cool slightly.

This is what you’re looking for – a deep maple color.

4. Make the crust: Take the other half of the onions and place them into a food processor along with the parsley, and the wheat.

The wheat, onion, and parsley in the processor.

Pulse a few times to begin mixing the ingredients, scrape down the bowl and add the other half each of the cinnamon and allspice, and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.

Adding the spices.

Process the mixture (scraping down the sides and pulsing as needed) until it is well mixed and has almost a paste-like consistency. It should still have some texture, but the mixture should hold together. Taste for seasoning.

The finished crust mixture. If the ingredients are well mixed, you shouldn’t have to add anything to adjust the texture.

5. Assembly: Take half of the crust mixture and spread it evenly over the bottom of the dish.

The bottom layer. Be sure it’s spread as evenly as possible.

Spread the filling evenly over the bottom layer.

The filling. This, of course, is where you would add any additional filling if you wanted to.

Carefully spread the top crust over the filling, smoothing it down as you go. (You may have to do this in sections.)

Essentially, this is ready to go into the oven. The top layer is a little thin because I used too much on the bottom layer. If that happens to you, just very carefully spread out the top as much as you can. It does smooth out; it may not be pretty, but it will work.

6. Cut the assembled Kibbeh into serving-size squares; or, if you want to get fancy, into diamond-shaped pieces (it’s more traditional). Press a few additional pine nuts on each piece for garnish. Spread or brush the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the top. (See above photo)

7. Place the Kibbeh in the oven and cook until the top crust is slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

I have to admit, sometimes, in this wanna-be low-carb world, I just want to enjoy a big bowl of pasta. It’s quick, easy, satisfying, and filling. But, of course, as always and most importantly, delicious.

Pasta alla Puttanesca literally translates into “Whores’ Pasta”. Its origin myths are a bit murky, but by most accounts, it’s a dish that dates back only about 50 – 60 years and was most likely created in southern Italy.

Some say the dish was invented by an Italian restaurateur who had an influx of customers near closing time one evening and threw together what he had left over – some olives, tomatoes, and peppers. Another origin story is that is was named “puttanesca” because it was easy and everything went into it. A third story is “decent” Italian housewives made this sauce with whatever they had laying around and threw it at ladies of the night while screaming “puttana!”.

I’m not so sure about the third one. But, who knows?

This is an easy dish. From prep to eating, it takes no more than 45 minutes.

A few notes:

1. Since there are no true hard and fast rules for this dish – except that it must have the tomatoes, olives, and peppers – you can add or remove ingredients as you like. That being said, I like to think I’ve at least stayed with the spirit of the original recipe.

2. Some recipes have anchovies, some don’t. If you want to make this dish vegetarian/vegan, certainly omit the anchovies.

3. It’s also very important to at least roughly chop the olives. Even if you do buy olives that say “pitted”, pits will happen. The chopping will help you find any before your guests or family do.

4. Be sure to taste the finished sauce before adding any additional salt. The olives are in brine, the anchovies are salted, and the capers are either in brine or salt. While you can rinse the excess saltiness off the olives and capers, some salt will still be there.

5. Occasionally, I like to use some of the oil from the anchovy jar with the olive oil. I really like anchovies.

It’s important to at least roughly chop the olives, even if they’re pitted. Sometimes, pits will still happen. It’s better you find them during prep than your family or guests to find them during dinner.

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, pepper flakes, and anchovies. Saute for 1 – 2 minutes.

Sauteing the garlic, red pepper flakes, and anchovies. The anchovies will melt right down. Lovely.

3. Add the tomatoes, capers, and olives. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want some of the liquid from the tomatoes to evaporate and the sauce to thicken slightly.

Adding the tomatoes, capers, and olives.

4. Take the skillet off the heat and toss the spaghetti in the sauce. Taste for salt (you’ll very likely not need it).

Tossing the pasta with the sauce. Take your time with this step. You want to be sure to coat the pasta and mix in everything as thoroughly as possible.

Well, life kinda got in the way this month with illness and travel playing rather large parts. So, my shopping month was a bit more truncated than I would’ve liked. But, one must roll with the (figurative) punches.

There wasn’t a whole lot new this month. The winter produce is still coming in: root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, dark greens, lettuces, and citrus. I’m certainly not complaining; I love my winter produce. But, I will say, I am looking forward to what the spring will be bringing.

I did expand a bit beyond just produce and bought some amazing meats and eggs. The meats were definitely splurge items. But, given the flavor and quality, the occasional outlay is worth it.

Wed., Feb 4.

For my first forays into the new month, I decided on two old familiars, Boggy Creek and Springdale Farms. I not only love both these places for the obvious reasons – fresh organic produce, fresh eggs & dairy, locally made products, homemade treats – but also for the quiet they offer in a city growing way too fast.

My first stop was Boggy Creek Farm. Along with the produce, I stretched myself this time and splurged on some excellent lamb chops and eggs.

Nothing like farm-fresh eggs. It said “large” on the carton. But, I swear some were jumbos.

Personally, I think Romanesco is one of the most beautiful vegetables .

More Romanesco. It grows thick and fast this time of year.

The broccoli and cabbage table.

Jeweled carrots.

Boggy Creek’s salad mixes.

Collards and Kale.

FYI

Spring trying to sneak in.

Lettuces in the one of the fields at Boggy Creek.

My next destination was Springdale Farm. I didn’t buy quite as much there. They did have garlic chives again, though. Yea!

Even if I don’t buy much, I love to simply go to the farm and look around. It’s a great place to simply look at the farm, the chickens, and the yard art and meditate a little.

My haul from Springdale Farm: Beets, Savoy Cabbage, Garlic Chives

Radishes, Savoy Cabbage, Frisee, Turnips, and flowers in jars.

Carrots galore.

Some of the fields and yard art at the farm.

Rows of dill.

baby broccoli in the field.

Looking to the back of the farm stand.

One of the other delights at Springdale is Eden East Restaurant. It’s a reservation-only, weekend-only restaurant. They use only locally sourced ingredients in their dishes. As a result, no menu is the same week-to-week.

Admittedly, I haven’t eaten there yet. I’ve promised myself that I’ll make reservations for Husband & me soon. I know people who have eaten there and they all say the same thing – it’s an incredible experience.

By the way, it’s BYOB.

The kitchen and seating at Eden East.

Love the stove.

Sat., Feb. 14

In anticipation of Husband Steve coming home from a business trip, I headed out to the Downtown Farmers Market to stock up on a few groceries for the weekend.

It was still chilly, but certainly warmer than my last visit in January. At least none of the vendors looked like they were going to freeze.

Chicken from Smith & Smith Farms. I hit a week where they didn’t have fresh chickens available. Still, this one was no more than a few days from the yard,

Phoenix Farms. I bought some gorgeous Brussels Sprouts here. Their produce was lovely.

Beautiful Brussels Sprouts. They comprised part of Saturday Night’s dinner.

After Springdale, I headed the roughly half mile over the Boggy Creek. While I didn’t take any photos in the farm stand that day, I did do some wandering around the grounds and took some there.

Red Lettuce growing next to the parking lot. I have to say, Carol Ann & Larry have a lot of faith in their customers not driving into the field.

Green puffs of frisee in a row.

Some lovely red lettuce. Ignore the hose.

One of my favorite spots at Boggy Creek. The bench looking at the fields. When the vines are flowering, it’s gorgeous.

Fields of broccoli (I think)

Some of Boggy Creek’s always busy chickens.

Boggy Creek haul, part one: Dino Kale, Brassica Salad, Sweet Potatoes

Boggy Creek haul, part two: New York Strip from Deer Run Longhorns and ground lamb from Loncinto’s Lamb

Cocao Hull Cocoa Powder from Organicare Farms. I’ve never used this before, so I’m interested to see how it works and tastes. It smells divine, just like good chocolate should.

And, so… On to March.

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As promised in January, here are two recipes using ingredients that I bought at the markets and stands this month.

Shrimp, cauliflower, ginger, garlic, and lime all have a natural flavor affinity with each other. So, I came up with this dish. If you don’t have garlic chives, just substitute 2 – 3 cloves of minced garlic and add it to the skillet when you saute the ginger and shallot.

Apologies for the lack of pictures with this recipe. The taking of photos was pretty much an afterthought that night. Not sure why.

Shrimp & Romanesco

4 tbsp. olive oil, divided

1 head Romanesco, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. water or broth

1 tbsp. ginger, minced

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 lb. large shrimp, peeled & deveined

2 tbsp. garlic chives

Lime juice to taste

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, saute the Romanesco for 5 minutes. Add the water or broth, cover the skillet, lower the heat to medium, and steam the Romanesco until it is slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.

2. Take the cover off the skillet and continue cooking until the Romanesco has started to brown in spots. Take it out of the skillet and set aside.

Cooking the Romanesco

3. Turn the heat back up to medium-high, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the skillet and heat. Saute the ginger and shallot until the shallot is soft, 2 – 3 minutes.

4. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are opaque and pink, about 7 – 10 minutes.

1. In a large skillet, either melt the butter or heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the caraway seeds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Cooking the caraway seeds in the butter.

2. Add the cabbage, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt and cook until the cabbage is slightly wilted, about 7 – 10 minutes.

Cooking down the cabbage. I like to use Savoy cabbage in this recipe because it cooks down fairly quickly and has a lighter flavor than regular green cabbage. I love green cabbage, but not for this dish. I find it a little too bitter. I’ve not tried Napa Cabbage.

3. Add the apples, carrot, apple cider vinegar, and a good pinch of pepper. Cook until the cabbage and apples are soft but still has some bite. Taste for seasoning.

Everything in the skillet. This is after about 10 minutes of cooking. The apples and cabbage are soft, but still with some bite.

I served this with the Cheddar & Jalapeno Sausage from Countryside Farms. Husband Steve was a very happy man.

In the ongoing informal series of foods from my childhood, today, I’m going to introduce you to Mujadarah.

Admittedly, this wasn’t my favorite dish growing up. I usually picked at it or ate it with lots of salad so I could get it down. But, as happens with most of us, my palate changed and discovered that I, even if I don’t love Mujadarah, I like it. It must have been the lentils.

The first record of mujadara dates back to 1226, in the Iraqi cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh by al-Baghdadi. It was known as “peasant food”. Mujaddara is the Arabic word for “pockmarked”; the lentils among the rice resemble pockmarks. Generally consisting of rice, lentils, sometimes burghul (#3 or #4 coarse grind), and, very occasionally, meat, it was served during celebrations. Without meat, it was a medieval Arab dish commonly consumed by the poor. Because of its importance in the diet, a saying in the Eastern Arab world is, “A hungry man would be willing to sell his soul for a dish of mujaddara.”

Arab Christians traditionally eat mujaddara during Lent. The dish is also popular among Jewish communities of Middle Eastern origin, in particular those of Syrian and Egyptian backgrounds; it is sometimes nicknamed “Esau’s favourite”. Jews traditionally ate it twice a week: hot on Thursday evening, and cold on Sunday.

If the recipe looks somewhat familiar to you, I’ve made a dish similar before, Koshari. The biggest difference is that Koshari has chick peas and pasta and is generally served with a tomato-cumin sauce.

A few notes:

1. You can make this dish with white rice, brown rice, or burghul wheat. If you use burghul, be sure to use a #3 (medium coarse) or #4 (coarse) grind. If you use burghul, it will be the standard 2:1 ratio you would use for white rice.

2. You can use either brown or green lentils. Don’t use red. They cook too soft for this dish.

3. My mom uses just cinnamon as the spice (other than salt & pepper). Play with the spices and come up with a combination you like.

4. While some do make this dish with meat, I’ve always eaten it as a vegetarian meal. If you want to add meat, follow the meat cooking instructions for Kidra.

The ingredients

The lentils. Use brown or green.

From top left: cumin, allspice, olive oil, black pepper, salt

1 c. brown or green lentils

2 c. white or brown long-grain rice

2 lb. onions, cut in half and sliced thin

4 c. water or broth (5 c. if using brown rice)

2 tsp. allspice

1 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 tsp. pepper

1/4 c. + 2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and saute for 1 – 2 minutes.

Sauteing the rice. I used brown in this post.

Add the salt, pepper, allspice, and cumin. Cook until the spices begin to give off a fragrance, about 1 minute.

Adding the spices. As you cook, the oils in the spices will come out and flavor the oil and rice. Be sure to stir constantly so the spices don’t burn.

Add the water or broth, bring to a boil, cover the saucepan, and turn down the heat to low. Cook until the rice is done – 25 to 30 minutes for white, 45 to 50 minutes for brown.

2. Meanwhile, heat the 1/4 cup olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep skillet. Add the onions and a pinch of salt. Stir occasionally, until the onions are soft and begin to take on color.

Cooking the onions. When you get to this point, make sure you watch them closely. You want caramelization, not burning.

Once the onions begin to brown, watch them more closely and stir more often; you want the onions to brown, not burn. Cook them down as far as you like. (I prefer them to be fully caramelized.) Depending on how dark you want the onions, it could take anywhere between 20 – 30 minutes to cook them.

I like my onions well caramelized. This took about 30 minutes.

When the onions are done, take them off the heat and set aside.

3. About halfway through the rice cooking time, place the lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with water to at least 1″ above the lentils, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook the lentils, adding water as needed, until they are done, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Boiling the lentils. Be sure to keep them covered with water so they don’t dry out.

4. When the lentils and the rice are done, mix them together (I usually do this in the pot I cooked the rice in). Mix in the onions. Taste for seasoning.

5. Mujadarah is usually served with either yogurt or a tomato-cucumber salad (basically tabouleh without the bulghur wheat).

I’ve been feeling sentimental lately thinking about the foods from my childhood years. I’d forgotten how good some of them were and still are. It must also come with the realization that I’ve hit middle age and how I really need to eat healthier.

Kidra is another one of those dishes from our childhood that my sisters and I remember fondly. It was an every-once-in-a-while dish; it was never one of Mom’s favorites, so we didn’t have it too often. But, when we did have it, my sisters and I would gorge.

Traditionally, it’s a recipe that is baked in a large narrow-necked clay pot called a tanour (التنور). The pot was filled with the ingredients, sealed with a flour and water paste, and buried in an oven built into the sand where it was left to cook for hours and up to overnight. Once cities started growing, people would send not only their bread to the bakeries, but their tanour pots as well. In some very remote areas, the Bedouin still cook Kidra this way.

Now, many families have tanours made of lined copper that can be placed in the oven or on the stove (my parents have one) and it generally takes less than an hour for the Kidra to cook.

This is dish cooked all through the Palestinian regions and families in the Middle East, but it is most popular in Gaza, where, from what I can tell, the dish originated.

A few notes:

1. If you don’t have a tanour, don’t worry. I don’t either. I used my Dutch oven. It works well.

2. Lamb is the most traditional meat to use in this dish. You can use beef if you prefer. Either way, be sure to use a stew meat (shoulder, round).

3. Some people will use saffron or osfour (the stamen of the safflower) to give the dish a yellow color. It is totally optional. My parents never used either of these in this recipe, so I don’t either.

4. Another traditional ingredient in this recipe is whole heads of garlic that are added just before the tanour goes into the oven. My parents never used garlic in their Kidra. After doing some research, I decided I wanted to add garlic in my own recipe. However, instead of whole heads of garlic, I use peeled cloves. I like it.

Again, this is completely optional.

5. If you don’t have whole cardamom pods for this dish, it will be fine without them. However, you do miss out on some of the traditional flavor if you don’t use them.

6. While white rice is most commonly used, you can use brown long-grain rice (brown basmati works well). Just add an additional 1/2 cup of liquid and add 15 -20 minutes to the cooking time.

7. You can make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth or water, omitting the meat, and adding more chick peas and/or fava beans. If you’d like to add some green, use fresh green beans (not haricot vert) and saute them at the same time as you would the chick peas.

1. Preheat the oven to 325F. In a medium bowl, toss the meat with the spices.

Spiced lamb.

2. In a Dutch oven, or, if you’re lucky, you have a tanour, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches; you want to get a good sear on the meat. If you crowd the pan, they will simply steam.

Browning the meat. Don’t crowd the pan or instead of a nice brown crust, you’ll end up with grayed steamed meat.

After each batch of meat is browned, take it out of the Dutch oven and set it aside. Repeat until all of the meat is done.

The finished (so far) meat. I just put it in the overturned Dutch oven lid. It’s a Dad thing.

3. Saute the onions and garlic in the Dutch oven, about 5 minutes. If you need to keep the brown bits on the bottom from burning, add about 1/4 cup of water or broth to help deglaze the pan. (It doesn’t have to be an exact measurement. Just eyeball it.) Stir frequently.

Cooking the onion and garlic. If you need to, like I did here, add a little water or broth to deglaze the pan to keep the lovely browned bits from burning.

4. Add the rice and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes. Stir constantly.

Adding the rice.

Add the chick peas and cook another 2 – 3 minutes. Again, stir often.

Adding in the chick peas.

Then add back in the meat, cardamom pods, and the water or broth.

Adding the meat, cardamom pods, and broth.

5. Bring the water or broth to a boil on the stove. Cover the Dutch oven and place it on the middle rack in the oven and bake for 30 – 45 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

In the oven.

Alternately, you can cook this fully on the stove (especially of you don’t have an oven-safe pot) on low heat for about 45 minutes, or, again, until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked.

I am now going to introduce you to two more dishes from the Middle East – one from my childhood and one I discovered more recently. Lentil Soup and Artichokes with Coriander.

Lentil Soup (Shorbat Adas) is a very popular dish during Ramadan. Soup is a traditional way to break the fast and the heartiness of this soup is perfect for that. Some people will put cooked ground beef or lamb in the soup, others balls of Kefta (basically, ground meat with onion, parsley, and spices). Some will also use dried bread and puree it into the soup to thicken it. Sliced radishes are also a popular addition.

The Artichokes with Coriander (Ard al-shokeh ma’kuzbara) is a more recent discovery for me. It’s a dish popular in Jericho in the early summer when artichokes are in season. Here, I’ve used frozen artichokes. This way, I can eat this dish at any time of year. Mainly, though, because I really don’t like to clean artichokes.

A few notes:

1. The soup is really best with the red lentils. They have a lighter, slightly sweeter flavor that’s best for the soup. They’re much more readily available than they used to be.

2. Be sure to wash the lentils. They’re generally dusty when they’re packed. While processing methods have become better, sometimes, especially if they’re from a bulk bin, they may also have small rocks or dirt. So, be sure to check them carefully.

3. As with most soups, this is even better the next day and freezes well. When you reheat the soup, be sure to add a little broth or water because it thickens up as it sits.

4. If you want a smoother soup, then you can puree it. However, I prefer a little texture in the soup.

5. You can easily make the soup vegan by using either vegetable broth or water.

6. Don’t use marinated artichokes packed in olive oil. Be sure, especially with canned or jarred ones, that they are packed in water. Or, if you’re using frozen, they’re unseasoned.

7. If you don’t like cilantro (coriander), you can use parsley. It obviously won’t taste the same, but it will work.

The ingredients

The lentils. Red lentils work best in this soup. They’re much more readily available than in the past.

From the top: salt, pepper, olive oil, flour, cumin

Lentil Soup

1 1/2 c. red lentils, washed and drained

4 c. broth (chicken, beef, lamb, vegetable) or water

1 med. onion, minced

3 cl. garlic, minced

1 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1 tsp. cumin

2 tbsp. olive oil

Juice of one lemon, or to taste

1. In a large saucepan, place the onion, garlic, lentils, and broth or water.

Lentils, onion, and garlic in the saucepan awaiting the broth.

Cover and bring to a boil. Keep the saucepan covered, turn the heat down to medium-low, and simmer for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.

The boiling pot.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt, pepper, cumin, and olive oil.

The oil, flour, and spices mixed together. It smells lovely.

Add the mixture to the lentils after the first 45 minutes of cooking.

The soup after the first 45 minutes of cooking time. Sorry, the lentils don’t stay red. They turn to a dull gold-yellow.

After adding the oil-spice mixture.

After you add the oil & spices, cook for another 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir occasionally.

3. Add the lemon juice and cook another 5 minutes.

My old-style lemon reamer. One of my favorite things I received from my mother-in-law.

Taste for seasoning. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil over the top and some extra lemon on the side.

The finished soup. Perfect.

The ingredients

Salt, pepper, olive oil

The artichokes. I used frozen ones in this recipe. If you do get jarred or canned, be sure they aren’t marinated & flavored ones.

Artichokes with Coriander

2 lb. artichoke hearts (2 bags frozen-thawed or 6 cans drained)

4 tbsp. olive oil

3 cl. garlic, minced

1/2 c. coriander (cilantro), chopped

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

1 tsp. black pepper, or to taste

1/4 c. lemon juice, or to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 – 2 minutes.

Cooking the garlic.

Add the artichokes hearts and cook another 5 minutes.

Adding the artichokes. Be sure to continue stirring frequently to keep the garlic from burning.

Panzanella is one of those dishes that simply screams summer. It is at its best when tomatoes are in season, and, especially, fresh from your own garden.

Panzanella (literally meaning “bread in a small basket) is a Tuscan recipe that, before the 20th Century, was based on onions, bread, olive oil, and basil. It wasn’t until the 20th Century that tomatoes were added; no doubt out of desperation and poverty.

The earliest known description of Panzanella is by the painter Angolo di Cosimo (“Bronzino”; 1503 – 1572). He sings the praises of onions with oil and vinegar served with toast and, a page later, speaks of a salad of onions, purslane, and cucumbers.

The best things about this recipe? It’s easy, fast, and there’s no cooking involved. More reasons it’s perfect for summer.

(some information from wikipedia.org)

A few notes:

1. This should go without saying, but use the best ingredients you can find and/or afford. Panzanella traditionally has few ingredients, so they all need to shine. There’s no way to mask indifferent ingredients in this recipe.

2. Use at least day-old bread. If your bread is too fresh, it will become gummy. Also, use a good European-style crusty bread. Most American-style breads don’t have the hard crust needed.

3. Some Panzanella recipes soak the bread in water and then squeeze it out before using. Others will have the bread soak in olive oil. I use the latter method. I prefer some bite to my bread; I find the water method makes the bread too soggy for my taste. However, if the bread you are using is very hard, then the water method may be the way to go. Be sure to slice the bread into thick slices and soak for about 20 minutes. Squeeze out the water before cutting or tearing the bread. (Perhaps even do half-and-half water and tomato juice.)

5. This salad is really best the day it’s made. You can eat it the next day (just let it come to room temperature after you take it out of the fridge), but the bread will be soggy. Unless that’s what you prefer.

The ingredients (the tomatoes I chose to use were small-to-medium sized, but they still added up to roughly 2 lbs.)

Fattoush is another one of those Middle Eastern salads can be as simple or as complex as you like. It is ubiquitous throughout the region, including Turkey. While it can contain different ingredients, the base is always stale toasted or fried bread.

1. While I have given some measurements here, there are no hard and fast rules other than the bread.

2. English (hothouse) or Persian cucumbers are preferable. They have less water, fewer seeds, and don’t need to be peeled. If you need to use the more familiar salad cucumber, then you will need to peel it (the skin is tough and usually waxed) and scoop out the seeds.

3. If you use large tomatoes, be sure to seed them. If you use cherry tomatoes, don’t bother with seeding. Just cut them in half.

4. Curly parsley is more traditional. However, flat leaf (Italian) is fine.

5. If you use garlic, use less than you think you need. Raw garlic is powerful stuff and can easily take over the rest of the salad.

6. You don’t need to cut the vegetables fine. They can simply be chopped.

1. Prepare the bread: If you are toasting the bread, preheat the oven to 450F. Split the loaves around the outside edge.

Splitting the bread. A serrated knife is especially helpful with this task.

Don’t worry if the loaves aren’t split cleanly. You’ll be breaking them up after they’ve been toasted.

The split loaves. if they’re not perfect, don’t worry. They’re going to get broken up anyway.

Place the split bread directly on the oven rack and let toast until it is a golden brown. Try not to let the bread get too dark or will add a bitter flavor to the finished salad. It should take about 2 – 3 minutes for the bread to toast.

The toasted bread. Once it’s cooled, break it up into bite-sized pieces.

Let the bread cool and then break it up into bite-sized pieces. I generally like to accomplish this by putting the bread into a large zip bag and breaking it up. No mess and the bag can be re-used.

If you decide to fry the bread, heat your oil to 375F. A mix of vegetable and olive oil works well for the flavor. (use pure olive oil, not extra virgin.) Cut the bread into bite-sized pieces and separate them. Fry the bread in batches until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

2. Place all of the prepared vegetables in a large bowl. Add the bread and toss. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper and toss again. Taste for seasoning.

The vegetables ready for the bread and seasonings.

Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes, then serve.

Sahtein!

The salad will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator, but it’s really best the day it’s made.

The classic Caesar Salad can make a diner recall the days of martini lunches, 2-inch steaks, paneled dining rooms, and the Rat Pack. In short, it’s an American classic.

An American classic that originated in Tijuana, Mexico.

Legend has it that Caesar Cardini, a restauranteur in San Diego, invented the salad in 1924. He also operated a restaurant in Tijuana to circumvent Prohibition. According to his daughter, the Caesar Salad was invented out of sheer necessity when the kitchen supplies were depleted.

After a rush on the restaurant one July evening, Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the tableside preparation by the chef. And thousands of tableside performances were born.

So, now you know. It has nothing to do with Julius Caesar (other than the fact that both he and Caesar Cardini were both Italian – technically). And, when my sisters and & I were kids, our dad try to convince us that it was invented by Caesar Romero. (You know, the Joker in the 1960’s “Batman” series.)

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A few notes:

1. I (and many others) use anchovies in the dressing. The original recipe didn’t use them; the anchovy flavor came from Worchestershire sauce. If you would prefer to leave them out, go ahead.

2. To make this dressing vegetarian/vegan, omit the egg, anchovies, and Worchestershire Sauce and use vegan mayonnaise and vegetarian Worchestershire Sauce.

3. If you find the addition of all extra virgin olive oil too strong, you can cut it with half pure olive oil or an unflavored oil like vegetable or grapeseed.

4. Since this recipe does use raw egg yolks, it is best not to serve this to anyone who might have a compromised immune system. Healthy adults should be fine – especially if the eggs are fresh. However, if you are concerned about using raw eggs, substitute the mayonnaise.

5. Croutons are essential in this recipe. You can buy them, but they are easy to make. I’ve included instructions.

6. When you grate the cheese, don’t use a Microplane; the cheese will be too fine. Either do shavings of cheese with a vegetable peeler or a larger grater.

7. The most common proteins served with Caesar Salad are grilled chicken or shrimp. However, this does go with almost anything. Or, alone.

1. Make the croutons: Preheat the oven to 250F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with pan spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the oil, salt & pepper, and whatever other seasonings you like. Spread the cubes out in an even layer on the baking sheet and place in the oven.

Croutons ready for the oven.

2. Bake them for one hour, or until they are dried and crispy. Set aside and let cool.

The finished croutons. Easy, right?

3. Meanwhile, make the dressing: Have a blender or food processor running. Drop in the garlic and anchovies and let them chop. Turn off the blender or processor and add all of the other ingredients, except the oil. Blend or process until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Everything except the oil.

4. With the processor or blender running, slowly add the oil. (You don’t want to add it too fast or it won’t incorporate and your dressing will separate.)

Adding the oil. Be sure to do this in a slow, steady stream.

When you’re done processing/blending the dressing, taste it for seasoning. It will be thick.

The finished dressing.

5. Place a couple of big handfuls of the lettuce in a large bowl. Drizzle over about a tablespoon or two of the dressing and toss until the leaves are lightly coated. (You don’t want the leaves soggy, just lightly coated.) Place the lettuce on a plate and add some of the cheese and croutons on top. Some people also like to sprinkle on some additional black pepper as well. Have a bowl of the dressing on the side in case anyone wants more.

Buen Apetito!

The dressing will last 3 – 4 days in the refrigerator if you use eggs and up to 1 week if you use mayonnaise. The croutons will keep a week in an airtight container.

Salade Niçoise has its origins in Nice, Provence, France. No one really knows the complete origin story of this dish. However, there is the ongoing legend that Catherine d’Medici brought a form of it to France before her marriage to Henri II. How much credibility this has, I don’t know; but Nice is less than 20 miles across the Mediterranean from Italy.

The basis for this salad is its seasonality. You use what you have fresh and in season. Few, if any, of the ingredients are to be cooked (although, more modern versions certainly ignore this edict). And, because of Nice’s proximity to the Mediterranean (and Italy), tuna and anchovies were added somewhere along the way.

The always main components of this dish are eggs (usually hard-boiled; sometimes poached), tomatoes, black (preferably niçoise) olives, green beans, and either tuna, anchovies, or both. It is always dressed with a vinaigrette. There are recipes that include artichoke hearts, white beans, radishes, potatoes, beets, corn, bell peppers, asparagus, cucumbers, green olives, mayonnaise, mushrooms, basil, tarragon, rosemary, and scallions. Just to name a few.

So, basically, a French Cobb Salad made with whatever the chef has fresh in their kitchen.

I myself prefer a much more simplified version. I try to stay as close to the traditional as possible. By keeping it simple, I feel, each component can come through. According to David Lebovitz’s post on Salade Niçoise (http://tinyurl.com/4rfsgjf), the original recipe stated that you don’t use anything cooked in the salad except for the eggs. Nor are tuna and anchovies ever in the salad together. Well, I certainly bucked that tradition. I think it’s all right in this case since cooks in Provence skirt the rules on this as well.

A few notes:

1. You can use canned tuna in place of the tuna steak. 2 cans should be sufficient (but you can use more if you like). Be sure to use a good quality brand packed in olive oil. Be sure to read the label and avoid any that have extra flavoring (StarKist comes to mind). Drain off the oil before you add the tuna to the salad.

2. if you can’t find Niçoise olives, you can use Kalamata. Just be sure to chop them a bit before adding to the salad.

3. If you are using pitted olives, be aware that pits can still occur (especially with Kalamatas). Whether you’re using whole or pitted olives, warn your guests about the pits.

4. If you want to make this dish vegetarian/vegan, omit the anchovies, tuna, and eggs. Use chopped garbanzo beans in place of the tuna (or, use a good recipe for “garbanzo tuna”; there are many available) and soft or firm-silken tofu cut into bite-sized pieces in place of the eggs.

5. Some will lay the salad components on the serving dish separately, while others make more of a tossed salad-style. It’s up to you how you like to serve.

The Ingredients

Big Eye Tuna. You can use canned tuna, but fresh is better.

Nicoise Olives. They are a small olive with a slightly smoky, peppery flavor. These are pitted, but if you do have to use whole olives, let your diners know.

1. Make the vinaigrette: In either a medium bowl (if making by hand) or in a food processor or blender, mix together all of the ingredients except for the oil. Either constantly whisking the mixture by hand or with the food processor or blender turned on, pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream. (You don’t want to add the oil too quickly; it won’t incorporate and the vinaigrette will separate.)

Once you have mixed in all the oil, taste for seasoning and adjust if you like. Set the vinaigrette aside.

The finished vinaigrette. I like it a little more on the sharp side. If you want a milder flavor, add more oil.

2. Prepare the fava beans (if using): As you probably noticed in the main ingredient photo, fava bean pods are quite large. To open them, you will need to press the pod lightly on the seam and pry open with your fingers (it’s easier than it sounds). Remove the seeds and place them into a bowl.

Fresh fava bean. The pods are fairly deceptive. They’re thick with an almost cottony inside with any where from 3 – 5 beans. The pods should be bright green (a little speckling is fine), shiny, and no soft spots. The beans inside should be plump and light green (this is from the extra skin on the beans that you’ll remove later). If you find any beans that are brown or shriveled, discard them.

The shelled beans.

Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add the fava beans and blanch for 3 – 5 minutes. Drain the beans and either run them under cold water or plunge them into ice water. Drain.

The beans after boiling. Notice how the skins are loosened.

Here’s how to remove the skins from the beans in 3 easy photos:

Getting ready to peel the bean.

To peel the bean, simply make a small tear in the skin to expose the bean.

Then, slip the bean out of the skin. Discard the skin. Add the beans to the bowl.

Easy.

If you can’t get fava beans (they’re still fairly seasonal), you can either use blanched French green beans (haricot vert – a very thin green bean) cut into 1/2″ lengths or edamame beans (If you use frozen, just cook them according to the direction on the package and let cool.)

3. Boil the eggs: There are no doubt a thousand ways to boil and peel eggs. Some work, some don’t. For me, the best way I’ve found is to place the eggs in a saucepan filled with water and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit for 10 minutes.

Drain off the water and immediately place the eggs into ice water and crack the shells (leave the eggs under the water). This allows the water the get between the shell and egg and make it easier to peel.

After boiling the eggs, immediately plunge them into ice water and crack the shells. The water will get between the shell and egg and it will be easier to peel.

ta da!

Cut the eggs into quarters lengthwise and set aside.

3. Cook the tuna: Lightly coat the tuna in olive oil and sprinkle on some salt and pepper on each side. Heat a skillet over high heat on the stove. When the skillet is hot, lay the tuna steak in the skillet and let it sear until the side is lightly browned. Turn the steak over and sear the other side.

Now, if you like your tuna very rare, you can stop at this point. If you prefer medium-rare to medium, continue to cook the tuna on the stove, turning once more, until it’s done to your preference.

If you prefer your tuna well-done (as my husband does – at least for this), have your oven preheated to 450F. If your skillet is oven-proof, take the skillet off the heat and place it in the oven for 5 – 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the tuna steak.

Searing the tuna.

Remove the skillet from the heat, take the tuna out of the skillet and set it on a plate to cool slightly. When it is cool enough to handle, either cut the tuna into bite-sized pieces (as I prefer), or you can chop it so that it resembles canned tuna.

4. Place all of the vegetables (except the mixed greens), olives, eggs, anchovies, and tuna into a large bowl.

Ready for the tuna and vinaigrette. Pretty, isn’t it?

Pour over the vinaigrette and mix thoroughly.

5. Place a large handful of the greens on a plate. Take a couple of large scoops of the salad and place it on top of the greens. Be sure to get a little of everything. Serve immediately.